Media Release

2024/25 Season Dancer Roster

Shaakir Muhammad Joins as First Soloist
Five New Corps de Ballet Members
Seven New Apprentices

July 17, 2024… Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the 2024/25 season dancer roster featuring six new dancers and seven RBC Apprentices.

“I am delighted to start the 2024/25 season by welcoming six new company members and seven RBC Apprentices to The National Ballet of Canada,” said Muir. “These exceptional young artists join us from around the globe, having performed and trained at esteemed institutions including Norwegian National Ballet, Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Canada’s National Ballet School. I look forward to welcoming such a breadth of talent and experience to the National Ballet and to develop and share their work with our audiences as we continue to expand our roster.”

New First Soloist

Joining as a First Soloist is Shaakir Muhammad.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Shaakir Muhammad trained at Brooklyn Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Before joining The National Ballet of Canada as First Soloist, Shaakir danced with Houston Ballet II, Norwegian National Ballet 2 and Norwegian National Ballet. With Norwegian National Ballet he danced in such ballets as Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Bayadère, Valse-Fantaisie, Manon and Dido and Aeneas. Shaakir also performed in the Norwegian premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Chroma and danced in Jiří Kylián’s One of a Kind, Alexander Ekman's Cacti and the world premiere of Anaïs Touret's Wagō.

New Corps de Ballet Members

Joining the Corps de Ballet are Erica Lall and Ayami Goto, Hamish Lowe, Keira Sanford and Pravda Tranfield from the RBC Apprentice Programme.

Erica Lall was raised in Cypress, Texas and trained at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy and American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Before joining The National Ballet of Canada as a Corps de Ballet member, Erica danced with ABT Studio Company and American Ballet Theatre.

Ayami Goto was born in Nagoya, Japan and trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Russia and Dutch National Ballet Academy. Prior to joining the National Ballet as an RBC Apprentice in 2023, she danced with ABT Studio Company.

Toronto-born Hamish Lowe trained at Canada’s National Ballet School. He joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2022 as an RBC Apprentice.

Keira Sanford was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and trained at Canada’s National Ballet School. She joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2022 as an RBC Apprentice.

Pravda Tranfield was born in Isesaki, Japan and trained at Canada’s National Ballet School. She joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2022 as an RBC Apprentice.

New RBC Apprentices

Joining the RBC Apprentice Programme are Tom Cape, Ryan Kao Cheng, Seunghee Han, Yeju Jang, Karin Laldjising, João Massei and Ana Zamora.

As previously announced, five dancers are promoted in the 2024/25 season: Tirion Law to Principal Dancer, Hannah Galway to First Soloist and Emerson Dayton, Keaton Leier and Isaac Wright to Second Soloist.

Dancer Roster and Biographies

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Season Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

The RBC Apprentice Programme is sponsored by The RBC Emerging Artists Project.

Hannah Galway is sponsored through Dancers First by Alison & Alan Schwartz.

Keaton Leier is sponsored through Dancers First by Donald & Suzanne Kopas.

Shaakir Muhammad. Photo by Einar Aslaksen.

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage with the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage; and the Government of Ontario with the Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

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